West Ham United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka put in a solid display on his return to Old Trafford but the former Manchester United man could have easily been sent off
Aaron Wan-Bissaka was fortunate to not be shown a red card during Manchester United vs West Ham
Aaron Wan-Bissaka was fortunate to not be shown a red card during Manchester United vs West Ham
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Former referee Keith Hackett has admitted that Aaron Wan-Bissaka should have been shown a red card during the closing stages of Manchester United's draw with West Ham. The second half had all the major talking points with Diogo Dalot and Soungoutou Magassa on target while Wan-Bissaka was fortunate to avoid being sent off.
United broke the deadlock just before the hour-mark when Dalot fired home after picking up the loose ball from a Casemiro cross inside West Ham's box. The visitors equalised in the 83rd minute when Magassa netted a rebound after Jarrod Bowen's header from a corner was cleared off the line by Noussair Mazraoui.
Moments after the Hammers' equaliser, Wan-Bissaka was late into a sliding tackle on Patrick Dorgu but as United kept possession, referee Andrew Kitchen played an advantage. Just moments prior, he had booked the former United defender for catching Mason Mount with his studs.
The decision to allow the game to carry on after Wan-Bissaka's second reckless challenge has been slammed by United fans. They are of the belief that he should have been shown a second yellow card and Hackett is in agreement.
He said on Football Insider: "Whilst I think that Andrew Kitchen had a very good game, I would like him to review the two Wan-Bissaka challenges, particularly the last one. On a yellow card, you put in a reckless challenge, he should have had a second yellow followed by the red."
"He's a lucky guy. Andrew, you've got to keep focused up until the final whistle."
The draw has seen United move up to eighth but it will feel like a missed opportunity as three points would have taken them up to fifth above Crystal Palace, who they beat last weekend.
Unsurprisingly, Amorim was far from pleased in his post-match press conference with the United boss particularly angered by suggestions that performances not remained consistent or improved.
He said: "It's not going backwards. The results are going backwards. We had some moments. That can happen.
"You were talking about when we had that run that team was really perfect and saying we are not that far from being in the perfect moment. We are really inconsistent.
(Image: (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images))
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"But if you look at the goal, 83 minutes, we have a long ball, we have everything under control and we need to do better."
United will have the chance to immediately respond to that setback as they face bottom of the table Wolves next Monday evening.
Amorim is expecting to have Matthijs de Ligt back available for the clash with Ayden Heaven, who came in for the Netherlands international against the Hammers, hooked off at half-time.
One positive for Amorim and United was the return of Matheus Cunha with further boosts arriving as neither Dorgu or Casemiro picked up yellow cards that would result in a suspension for the trip to Molineux.